Cotton-press



(No Model.) 3 sheetsw-sheet 1.

E. L. MORSE.

GOTTON PRESS. No. 258,246. Patented May 23, 1882.

(No' Model-Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. L. MORSE;

COTTON PRESS. No. 258,246. Patented May23, 1882.

ETERS. Pluolo-Lllhugmplmr. Wxiuingion. n. cy

v N M del a sheets-sheet 3.

E. L. MORSE.

co'r'ron PRESS.

No. 258,246; Patented May 23,1882.

Dwar ufo 7",

-UNJITED STaTEs PATENT @rrrcia...

EDMUND L. MORSE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO SOHUYLER B. 'STEERS, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

COTTON-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,246, dated May 23, 1882.

Application filed July 26, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDMUND L. Monsn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Presses and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. This invention relates to certain improvements in the cotton-pressfor which Letters Patent of the United States were granted to me on the 28th May, 1878, No. 204,240; and it consists in a certain construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the press, one halfinfront elevation, and the other halt in axial section, the piston being down. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 a side section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, of the pistonrod and rack-bar. Fig. at is a front view of the lower platen, and Fig. 5 is a transverse section thereof on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an end section of the wedge and upper platen, showing the method of connecting the same together. Fig. 7. represents the ho sing, having track-frames and wedge-eng' e attached thereto, with their stippprtingbrackets and the wedge-screw. Fig. 8 is arena elevation, show- :ing the wedge-engine. Fig. 9 is an end view of the housing between the posts before the bracket is attached.

The frame may be of iron ortimber. In the illustration it is shown with wooden posts A, surmounted by an iron frame, B, connecting the posts together at the top and supporting thecylinder. O is a central iron frame attached to the 45 posts or uprights A, and supporting the upper and fixed platen, D, and thecog-sectors E. The cog-sectors are connected by four rods, 7 F, to the lower or moving platen, G. It is customary to form the lower platen in cottonpresses in one piece, according to my present improvements. I construct this platen in two separate pieces, each piece being composed of two ribs, or (1, having a very wide flange, b, at

the bottom and a small flange, c, at the top,.

upper face of the platen G, and extends clear across the two sections.

A is the foundation, which has a cavity,f, to receive the lower platen, G, when in its lower position. The four vertical posts Aare connected together at top by cross-beams A and the iron frame B. The fulcrum-wrists I of the cog-sectors E are supported in pillowblocks H on the central frame, 0. Passing transversely through each cog-sector is a bar, J, whose ends form wrist-pins j, which pass through the upper ends of the eye-bars or rods F for lifting the lower platen, G, which has guide-lugs 9 working on slides a. Of the eyebars or lifting-rods F there are four--two to each sector. \Vrist-pins 9 connect said bars at their lower ends to the four corners of platen G. The workingcogs of the sectors are in cyc'loidal arose", the end c being more distant from the fulcrum I than the upper end, 0, of said are, so that as the sector rises it acts, as explained in the specification of my before-recited patent, with increased power upon the lower platen. These sectors have at their longer ends e greater spaces between the cogs than have the other ends, to adapt them to correspond with the construction of the rack K k, to be presently described.

B represents the rack-blade, which is formed in one piece with the piston-rod L, and has the last tooth k on each side of said rack-blade formed solid therewith. The rack-blade B,

2 ass-me the piston-rod L, and the teeth 70 are formed in one piece by forging. while the cogs 7c and the cog-racks K K are formed each in a single casting. The last four cogs are formed with a gradual increase of pitch of tooth, while the tooth k on each side of the blade B is fifty per cent. larger than the remaining teeth. This enlargement of the lower teeth is found to greatly increase the strength of the rack and render it much safer in use.

B represents the wedge, and D the upper platen, which are dovetailed together, so that on the movement-outward of the wedge the.

platen will slide upward on the wedge and be raised to that extent. Both are formed with a steep incline, as shown, to insure the upper platen being forced down or raised up the extent necessary to adjust the size of the opening of the press to the size of the bale to be pressed with the least possible amount of movement of the wedge. The wedge is forced inward into operative action, or retracted, as

desired, by means of a screw, 13'', operated by the wedge-engine B.

The cog-racks K K are secured to the rackbar on either side by T-pieces t, as shown, said pieces being of wrought-iron, which are heated red-hot and dropped into the castings. The T-pieces t are of wrought-iron. They are heated redhot and shrunk into the rack-bar casting on each side to hold them together.

The two sections of the lower platen, G, are secured together in the following manner: A lug, m, is cast upon the underside of each section near each outer end. A wrought-iron link or bar, a, is heated red hot and dropped within the adjacent lugsm on each end,so as to extend across the center of the two sections, and thereby hold said sections securely together.

The screw B is secured at its outer end to a crank-arm, 0, which is operated by the wedgeengine 13, and atitsinner end said screw works in a stationary nut, 19, secured within the outer end ofthe wedge 13 Thus it willbe seen that on the wedge-engine being set in motion the crank-arm 0 will cause the screw B to operate within the stationary nutp and either propel the wedge 13 forward or retract it, asit is desired to either press the bale or release it from pressure.

The cog-racks are inclined or ofwedge shape, so as to approach each other as they extend downwardly to suit them to the cog-sectors,-

whose cogged faces approach each other as they turn upward. The lower end of the piston-rod L works between suitable guides.

Mis the piston working in the cylinder N. In ordinary working the steam is only admitted beneath the piston to lift it, and the descent of the piston is accomplished by its own Weight and that of the parts attached thereto.

0 is the steam-port.

P is a U-form'ed pipe, whose ends communicate with the inside of the cylinder at two different elevations near the upper end of the cylinder. The distance of the pipe-openings apart is atlcast as great as the thickness ofthe piston, so that when the piston has reached such an altitude as to pass the mouth 19 andexpose it for the entrance ofsteam from the part of the cylinder beneath the piston the steam passes through the pipe P into the partot' the cylinder above the piston, and thus the fur ther ascent of the piston is prevented. I

In the pipe P is a ball or other valve, which prevents retrograde or downward movement of steam or air through pipe 1?. In the head of the cylinderis an inwardly-opening valve anda spiing. Thisspringtendstoclosethcvalveand prevent the escape ofair or steam when the piston is near its upper position. Attached to this inwardly-opening valve is a chain, to whose lower end is secured a weight of such gravity as to preponderate over the spring. When the piston is in its upper position the weight rests on the piston and the spring closes the valve; but when the piston descends to a certain pointthe weightis left suspended on the valve and draws it down, giving the outer air entrance into the top of the cylinder and allowing the piston free descent.

I prefer to connect with the upper part of the cylinder a steam-pipe with a valve, by which steam may be admitted above the piston to force it down, if at any time it may be found necessary, and it will be seen that atsuch time the ball-valve would come into action, preventing the escape of steam into the space beneath the piston when the piston is in its upper position.

I have not illustrated the above-mentioned adjuncts to the pipe 1? in the drawings filed herewith, as they are fully illustrated in my before-mentioned patent and form no part of my present invention.

The housing is in two separate pieces, which are bolted together, as shown. Each piece has at its ends wedge-brackets R R. The brackets R are, provided with a track, 1", upon which the wedge-rollers 8 run. The brackets R, at the other endof the housing, serve to support the wedge-engine B, as shown in Fig. Set the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, whatl claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The rack-blade B, teeth It, and pistonrod L, formed in one piece, substantially as described.

2. The rack-blade B, having the tooth k on each side thereof formed solid therewith,

4. The combination of the cog-sectors E, having greater spaces between the cogs at the longer than at the shorter ends, rack-blade B, having enlarged lower tooth and piston-rod formed therewith, and the cog-racks K K, having enlarged lower teeth, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The wrought rack-blade formed in one piece with the piston-rod, and the cast cogracks K, said cog-racks being secured to said rack-b1ade by wrought T-pieces t, that are heated" and then shrunk into the rack, substantially as described.

6. The wed gebrackets R It, provided with a track, r, for the wedge-rollers s, and the wed ge-brackets R R for supporting thewedgeengine 13, substantially as set forth.

7. The lower platen, constructed in two sep arate pieces, as described, each separate portion being composed of two ribs, having wide flanges at the bottom and small flanges at the top, and also having a greater width at the bottom than at the top, as and for the purpose described.

' 8. The combination, in a cotton-press, with the two -part lower platen G, having recess e in its upper face, of achanneled plate, d, adapted to rest within said recess and extend across the two sections of said platen, and be removable therefrom to admit of plates of different degrees of thickness being substituted therefor without changing the platen or changing the length of the eye-bars, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND L. MORSE. Witnesses:

ROBERT BURNS, THEODORE PAPIN. 

